I Kill Giants #4Review

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Imagination runs wild.

By Richard George

I Kill Giants is one of those titles that, try as I might, I probably can't quite capture in words. But it's something that every one of you should be reading. Much like Four Eyes or a couple particular Marvel and DC titles, this series delivers something unlike anything else in the industry. And that's wonderful to see.

With all the superhero stuff that dominates this industry, it's easy to lose sight of some true gems along the way. With some 80% of the industry wanting to hear about the adventures of Spider-Man and Batman, many indy books don't get enough attention. And sadly that's true on IGN as we have to put our attention where our readers demand it. But Joe Kelly's Image efforts are really beginning to grab my interest. Sometimes we have to tell you what you ought to be reading. Yeah, okay, buy your Invasions and Crises, but buy Giants as well.

All this writing and I haven't exactly pinned down the concept of this mini. Barbara Thorson is, I suspect, like many of us in the comic book community. She is a bit of an outcast, a bit of a nerd, but very bright. And, sadly, she has what seems to be a pretty sad past, one that Joe Kelly hides from us just as she hides herself from the world. Barbara seals herself off behind a mask of being a so-called "Slayer of Giants". Oddly enough, though we never quite believe her claim, Kelly mixes in enough conviction on Thorson's part that every so often we start to believe her.

I've mentioned Calvin & Hobbes in a few articles recently. I'm not sure if it's because the comic strip was so influential on me as a kid, but I see its presence everywhere, and Giants is yet another example. The way Barbara believes her alternate world to be true really reminds me of the way Calvin believes his stuffed tiger is alive. Barbara's battles against evil are as much of a crutch to her as Calvin's best friend. Kelly perfectly hits the proper tone here, never painting Thorson as a fool, but never allowing the reader to definitely believe this world is anything other than our own. There's a particularly poignant moment in this issue where another character effectively spells out a big piece of the missing puzzle for the reader... only because Barbara is our point of view, the dialogue is blacked out as our central character refuses to listen to the truth. Simply fantastic.

Much credit must go to artist JM Ken Niimura as well. I could easily see some dismiss Niimura's work as too rough or lacking detail, but it really does fit this story. It's expressive enough to capture all of the right emotions, but surreal enough to allow for Barbara's imagination to run wild. I think many comic book readers have come to expect or demand that "good art" is the same as what's typical for a superhero comic book. A book like I Kill Giants, if you understand what the writer and artist are attempting to accomplish, will go a long way in breaking down those stereotypes. Also, I have to say, I love those little one-page "Making Of" strips in the back. They are so charming I almost look forward to them more than the actual content. Almost.

Yes, we're a little late to the I Kill Giants bandwagon, if such a thing exists. But we're not too late. You need to give this series a try. It's once again a reminder to the fans and soon-to-be-fans that comics are not just superheroes. Those books are just fine, but a little diversity is definitely good for this industry. Expand your horizons, and give this charming independent book a shot. I suspect we'll all see a little bit of ourselves in these characters, from the comedic elements to some of the more tragic.

I Kill Giants #4

The cold hand of fate closes around Barbara, driving her ever closer to the edge of sanity and an inevitable confrontation with giants both real and imagined. Friendships are betrayed. Coveleski is revealed. And Barbara comes face to face with the THING upstairs...